What do Moodle quiz statistics mean?

Congratulations! You ran your quiz in Moodle, your students took it and the grades are ready…

Thinking Out Loud Can Aid Learning

Have you ever been caught talking to yourself? Be honest. I have. Before you emphatically say ‘No’ and whisper under your breath that I must be nuts at least hear the context in which it has occurred. I often rehearse instruction that I am going to be doing by saying…

The Importance of Forgetting to Learning

Forgetting is a depressing act. I’m on the downside of my 40’s and have noticed lately that I seem to be forgetting more long-term details and memories from my past. But as an instructional designer who knows a thing or two about teaching and learning, I…

Active Learning Methods and the Development of Expertise

Imagine, for a moment, two sections of a university introductory physics course. The students in these two sections were alike in their performance on tests and engagement with the topic. The instructors for these two sections were…

Gamification: Too Much Candy Crush, Not enough D&D

It happened again. I ended up attending another conference session that turned to a shallow look at gamification that likely does more harm than good.

The Instructor’s Dilemma: Caring too much versus caring too little

For an instructional professional, how much caring for learners is too much caring? Too much caring can be deadly. When the strong ideals of a teacher meet the hard realities of current school models, for example…

The Shame of Failing at Learning

“How well children grow through the traumas, challenges, and disadvantages they experience depends on how well they learn. How well they rise to the opportunities and advantages they experience depends on how well they learn. From their emotional health and maturity to…

Tips to get Started Gamifying your Online Course

Motivation and engagement. What instructor doesn’t want more of that in their learning environment? Gamification is a popular choice at the moment for adding more interactivity to the learning process, which in turn improves motivation and…

Mental Health Week — UDL: not just for physical barriers

When it comes to talking about how to accommodate our learners, it’s easy to come up with scenarios and examples for students who need accommodations or redesigns for physical barriers. This student is blind, how can we facilitate…